Welcome to PIMDA. PIMDA stands for profound intellectual and multiple disabilities Australia. PIMDA is Sheridan Forster's weblog about issues to do with people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) in Australia. The purpose of PIMDA is to increase awareness of people with PIMD and the issues pertaining to this population. The other purpose of PIMDA is to build a network of interested people who can then work together to improve the lives of people with PIMD.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

From NDS Newsletter - Group homes for people with PIMD

I've grabbed the following from an NDS newsletter. I think it is only for Victorian group homes.

Do you know of any great group homes for people with intellectual disability and high support needs?

The ‘culture’ of group homes has long been recognised as being important in realising a good ‘quality of life’ for people with intellectual disabilities, but has been little researched.

The School of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University and the Tizard Centre in the United Kingdom have been awarded funding from the Australian Research Council to learn about the ‘culture’ of highly performing group homes for people with high support needs. We want to understand what the staff culture in good group homes looks like, how it emerges, how it changes over time and what supports it. Our findings will help to inform organisational development, policy and practice in group homes.

The project brings together key researchers in this field, Professor Jim Mansell, Professor Chris Bigby, Dr Julie Beadle – Brown, Dr Marie Knox and Dr Tim Clement. Together we have much experience in investigating quality of life in group homes.

Do you know a group home for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities that you regard as being one of the best of its kind? You may work in such a setting or know one that you consider to be a flagship service.

If you are able to recommend such a service in the broadest terms,( i.e. without breaching confidentially) that might be invited to participate in this research, please contact Professor Christine Bigby, phone: (03) 9479 1016 or email: c.bigby@latrobe.edu.au. Alternatively, you could bring this newsletter item to the attention of a manager in the relevant organisation.

What do you think the issues are?

About Me

I am a person interested in the lives of people with PIMD. I wear multiple hats including researcher, therapist, advocate, and friend.
I strongly believe that in order to continue to improve the lives of adults with PIMD we need to acknowledge the specfic issues related to this group of people. The first step in this is acknowledging that there are a group of people who have PIMD, and although they are all individuals there are some issues that they share in common.
I hope this weblog enables discussion of what some of these issues are.

Advocacy articles

Longley, S., & Collins, G. J. (1994). The development of a non-verbal satisfaction measure for use with people who have severe or profound learning disabilities. British Journal of Developmental Disabilities, XL(79), 143-149.

Hogg, J., Cavet, J., Lambe, L., & Smeddle, M. (2001). The use of 'Snoezelen' as multisensory stimulation with people with intellectual disabilities: a review of the research. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 22, 353-372.

Shapiro, M., Parush, S., Green, M., & Roth, D. (1997). The efficacy of the "Snoezelen" in the mangagement of children with mental retardation who exhibit maladaptive behaviours. British Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 43(2), 140-155.